A Family
by HotChilliGriffin
Summary: *Mike had a son. A five year old son. Six years ago, he was going out with her.* Mike, a five year old boy, Kate, rampant sexual desire, green leprechauns and an upside-down bed. Plus a few steamy kisses, and my favouritest ever ending. COMPLETE.
1. A Family

**A Family**

They always said that her hair was her best feature, as if nothing else in her appearance was worth looking at. She didn't really like it, either – it was drab, and without style. And today, standing in the face of a gusting wind, it was blowing around her and getting caught on her face and nose and earrings.

Making her way towards port, and the woman on the dock, was the _Hammersley_, and on board the warship was Mike Flynn.

She crossed her arms, and waited.

***

"Hey, who's that?" Spider asked, looking out at the approaching land. "Some woman."

"Spider, just focus on your work," Kate remanded. He nodded dutifully, his concentration returning.

"Good question, though," muttered Swain, looking out. "Who is she? I think she's waiting for us..."

"Someone's girlfriend, probably," Kate muttered, not really interested.

Interest caught by the questions, Mike glanced towards shore. And dropped his log book.

"Sir?" Kate asked in confusion.

"X has the ship!" he called, racing away from the bridge.

"Okay... now I want to know. Who is she?"

***

As soon as the Hammersley was secure, Mike leapt to the dock and walked straight to the woman. He didn't look happy. The rest of the crew were watching from the bridge, knowing Mike could quite possibly be in a bad mood when he came back.

"What're they saying, X?" Swain asked.

"I would know... how?"

"You can lip read, right?"

"I'm not eavesdropping on the captain..." she began, but she was already reaching for the binoculars.

"No-one tells him about this," she growled. "That's an order."

After a moment, she paused, and began a hesitant translation.

" 'I needed to talk to you.' 'I'm working.' 'You just finished'... 'They don't need to know about my...' my god, did he just..."

"What did he say?" RO asked, also keeping an eye on the pair.

"Something about his wife... oh no, his _life_... And she says it's not a big deal... whoop!"

Kate suddenly ducked, hitting the floor of the bridge, as Mike pointed at the bridge with one finger, obviously mad. Luckily, he didn't see her, but she realised he was too smart not to know they would all be watching him.

"Right, get back to work," she snapped, picking herself up and marching away.

***

"Don't ask," Mike instructed as Kate approached, the ship having been anchored appropriately, the woman gone. She raised an eyebrow.

"Who was she?" she asked, ignoring his instruction.

"I said..."

"And I'm asking."

Mike glared at her, but she had never backed down before and she certainly wouldn't do so now.

"You coming to the pub tonight?"

"Don't change –"

"I'm not. She's going to be there. Have to bloody well introduce her now."

Kate smirked. "You don't want us to know about the women in your life?"

Mike caught the second layer to her question, and allowed himself a brief smile.

"She's not a girlfriend, X," he said. It could have been a professional remark, but he could see her getting jealous. "If you'd gotten a decent look at her, you would have known that."

He left the room, as she struggled to ponder his meaning.

***

"Hey... here he is! Sir!" called Charge, as Mike entered the pub, a slightly-built woman with long, flowing brown hair following him in. More surprising was the young child she carried in her arms. Mike sat down, the woman taking the chair next to him. They were all waiting, trying to hide their curiosity, and failing.

"I'd like you all to meet Emilia... Mel... my sister."

Kate blinked in surprise. She was standing behind the rest of the crew, searching for something to explain the jealousy that was seething within her, but at those words, she froze.

_She didn't know he had a sister_. The rest of the crew were obviously surprised, too, but Mel didn't seem shocked by their reaction.

"Twin sister," she added. Kate looked closer; she could definitely see the resemblance – same face structure, same haunting blue eyes, same dark brown hair, though Mel's was much longer, smooth and silky.

Predicting their next question, Mike continued. "And this is Tim... my nephew."

_He looks guilty_, Kate thought. _Why?_

The boy was about five, and she could see why he had instantly introduced Mel as his sister – if he hadn't, money would have changed hands on whether the nipper was his own. Because the boy was already tanned, with deep grey-blue eyes and short, ruffled hair. Baby Mike.

_Nephew_, Kate reminded herself. _Don't get jealous... nothing to get angry about, anyway. _She had to breathe deeply, and keep her emotions in check._ He's not yours anymore_.

That night, Mel and Mike left early, Mel insisting that she had to talk to him about something. After another fifteen minutes, Kate grew tired of the increasingly rowdy boys and made her own farewells. She walked outside, the cool night breeze jolting her away from her thoughts with the effectiveness of a cold shower.

She hadn't drunk much, and aimed for her car, but before she turned around the side of the pub, she heard Mike's voice.

"I don't think you needed to come up here –"

"You weren't returning my calls, my emails... you can't block us out of your life, Michael!"

Kate hid a smile. She'd never heard anyone call him Michael before.

"I'm not trying... I just... not now. I can't deal with this now. And waiting for me on the pier? Now how am I supposed to explain that?"

"However you like, but Michael, I don't know why you're hiding this from them!"

"They don't need to know. It's not –"

"What is wrong with them knowing you have a son?"

"I can't look after him. I can't. That's why I left him with you..."

Kate had heard enough. She backtracked, went around the other side of the pub, and climbed into her car, breathing heavily.

_Mike had a son. A five year old son._

_He must have been conceived about six years ago._

_Six years ago, he was going out with her._


	2. A Picnic

**A Picnic**

Kate woke slowly, kneading her pillow with her fists as she tried not to succumb to consciousness. A second later, she realised there was an odd ringing in one ear. She rolled over, and saw her mobile – ringing. She checked the clock. It was only half past seven. Sighing, she grabbed the wretched phone, determined to stop the noise, and saw Mike's name on caller ID.

"Cancel my shore leave and I will eat you alive," she mumbled upon answering. She heard him laugh in reply.

"Nope, shore leave's right. There's something I wanted to ask you."

"At half past seven?" she groaned, sitting up.

"Please Kate, I need a favour."

Kate's mind suddenly caught up with her. The pub, Mike's sister, the little boy, and Mel saying... _"What is wrong with them knowing you have a son?"_

He needed a favour? She'd already made up her mind.

"What? If you hadn't noticed, the sun hasn't even realised it's Saturday yet."

"Open your curtains," he suggested, and she growled audibly. She also rolled out of bed and pulled open the curtain across her window, and sunlight streamed through.

"Fine," she mumbled, collapsing onto her bed, the phone still glued to her ear. "What do you want?"

"Mel," he said in reply.

"You want Mel?" she asked, unable to stop the corners of her mouth lifting.

"I need help _dealing_ with Mel," he said, lowering his voice. She guessed his sister must be nearby, and if she was anything like Mike, she would be doing her best to listen in.

"So... I..."

"She's dragged me into a _picnic_," he grumbled. "Can you come, help keep her occupied?"

"A picnic? Hell no," Kate muttered. "I don't _do_ picnics..."

"Neither do I, but she's my sister, and I have to do what she says."

"She's your sister, so you have to deal with her yourself."

"Kate, _please_..."

"Keep begging," she said, her mood lifting. Mike begging? Oh yes, that was worth a picnic. _Even if I do have to spend it with that traitorous bastard..._

"Kate, _please. _Pretty please. Oh please."

"Getting there," she said, casually lifting one hand to glance at her nails. "_Bit_ more..."

"Oh, my princess Katie, save me..."

"Okay, that's just overboard," she snapped. "Now tell me, why can't you get Nav to go? Picnics are more her thing."

"Are you trying to avoid me, Kate?" Mike asked. He was joking, but she could hear the underlying pain in his voice. She suddenly couldn't face admitting, yes, she was trying to avoid him.

"When it's seven thirty, I avoid everyone." She sighed, bitterly resigned to the fact that she wasn't going back to sleep and that she would not be able to stop Mike's begging now that he had started. "I will make you regret this. Where and what time?"

***

Last time she'd checked, ex-boyfriends who were now your boss who had children you didn't know about and were probably the result of them being unfaithful while they were going out with you _didn't _invite you on picnics. Kate realised there was probably a reason for this.

"So, Kate, how long have you been on the Hammersley?" Mel asked, as the four of them walked along a bush track. It led to a beautiful waterfall with picnic grounds. Tim – _Mike's son_, Kate thought bitterly – was holding Mel's hand, looking around with awe.

"About... a year and a half?" she estimated, glancing at Mike for confirmation. He nodded. Mel sighed.

"It must be hard. Being away so much... no time for a family."

If Kate hadn't heard what she had the night before, she might not have noticed the quick look Mike shot his sister, or the taunting look in Mel's eye.

"Well, I... I'm not really the family sort," Kate said hastily, seeing that Mel wanted her opinion. And she wasn't. She loved the Navy, loved her career, and a family would only hold her back.

"Kate's very career-minded," Mike remarked, echoing her thoughts.

"Unlike my brother," Mel said dryly. Kate couldn't help a grin. However mad she was at Mike (for reasons she wasn't quite sure about and _didn't_ want to go over), Kate couldn't stop herself from liking his sister.

"Though Mike's not exactly the family sort, either..." Kate said. An innocent remark, she hoped. Again, she caught the glances the siblings sent each other – made easier by the fact that Mel was walking on her left, and Mike on her right.

"You can say that again," Mel muttered. "Your crew didn't even know he had a sister, did they?"

"No, they didn't," Kate agreed. The fresh air, slightly chilled from the night, was doing things to her head, and she kept talking. "I didn't know either. And I thought I knew him pretty well."

Mike snuck a glance at Kate. She was watching him, not coldly, but with a certain predatory air. He shrugged slightly, and she raised an eyebrow. He gritted his teeth, hoping she would drop it. She raised her other eyebrow. She knew this wasn't the first time they had managed to have an argument without either of them speaking a word.

"Are you two close?" Mel asked, and Mike watched as Kate struggled for an answer. No, they _weren't_ close, not like they had been... he had hurt her, badly, but could she say that to his sister?

"In our job, you have to know your crew mates pretty well," Kate said eventually. Mike looked slightly disappointed, but he should have known – Kate was a diplomat. When it came to word play, she was determined to come out on top.

"Well, it's not that surprising. A lot of my friends don't know I have a brother. A _twin_ brother at that."

"You don't see each other very often?" Kate asked. She suddenly had the awkward feeling that this was a little too personal. What was polite conversation, and what was prying?

"I don't think I've seen him in... oh, about four years."

Again, a look.

"Was that when Tim was born?" Kate asked, begging for it to be so. Mike left her, and a few months later, got another woman pregnant. _Just don't tell me he left me for another woman..._

"No, Tim's five. It's just, he's not on the best terms with our parents, but I am... so it gets a little tense when he comes around. I remember when Michael joined the Navy, mum was so mad..."

"Kate does not need to hear about my mother," Mike suddenly cut in. Mel glanced at him, a challenge burning in her pale blue eyes – and something else. Amusement. She liked toying with him. Kate understood perfectly.

"Ah, Kate. He hasn't told you about when he left home?"

"No, I don't believe he has."

This time, Mike glared at Kate. She took advantage of the lip-reading lessons she'd been giving him, and grinning, mouthed 'You're the one who wanted me to come!'. A few seconds later, he worked out what she had said, and growled softly to himself.

"Well... he was seventeen. We were both in eleventh grade, at high school... but he wasn't doing that well. Mum wasn't happy, told him to stop chasing dreams and to get to work."

"What was his dream?" Kate asked. It was almost as if Mike wasn't there at all – but much more fun.

"He wanted to be a professional swimmer," Mel replied, grinning madly. "He went swimming a lot. Just wasn't very good at that, either."

Kate chuckled, refusing to look at the man they were discussing.

"So I take it he didn't do as he was told?"

"Nope. Dad made some comment about, if he liked water so much, he should join the Navy. The next week, he packed and left."

"He was probably too stubborn to do what your parents wanted," Kate said. Mel laughed.

"Exactly!"

"X!" Mike hissed. Kate raised one eyebrow, still facing Mel.

"You hear that? Every time I say anything that annoys him, he tries pulling rank," she said. Mel looked over at her brother.

"Well, I have good news Kate. Because he still listens to me. Occasionally." Mel winked. "Older twin." Mike scowled.

"Kate, I wanted you here to _stop_ her from being mean," he grumbled.

"I think he's scared of you," Kate said, and Mel nodded.

"And so he should be! Just think of all the stories I have about him..."

"I'm sure Kate's not interested in those..." Mike said hastily. Kate shook her head.

"Oh no, I'm _very_ interested. Please, Mel, go on."

"Kate, for each thing she tells you, Buffer gets to lead a boarding party!"

"Bargaining," Mel said, shaking her head, her cheeks glowing with laughter.

"Or threatening," Kate replied, shooting Mike a fiery glance. "That's low. But okay. Buffer can have the experience."

***

"So, he brings the car back, and it's got a scratch down one side, a _huge_ dent in the front, and one mirror is missing. He then goes to bed, and gets up in the morning like nothing's wrong, and pretends he hasn't got a _clue_ what happened. Dad was _so_ mad..."

"Now, should I be the one to tell Kate _who_ dared me to do it?" Mike asked. "Or _who_ blackmailed me for nearly a year, threatening to tell dad?"

"I would have blackmailed him for the whole year, but he left," Mel explained. Mike rolled his eyes. "He was a kid with restraint issues. I make one dare, and he nicks dad's car. While he's _out_ he then sees some kid from the year above, who challenges him to a drag-race down the street."

Kate couldn't hold her laughter in any more. After arriving at the picnic area, they had finished their snacks, and while Tim cautiously explored the children's playground, Mel was living up to her promise of giving Kate a few tales about the teenage Mike. Once Kate had calmed herself slightly, she turned to Mike.

"Well?"

"What?" he asked, confused. She rolled her eyes.

"Who won the race?"

Mel giggled, and the two women quickly shared a high five.

"I _would _have won," Mike pouted. "But there was that damn tree..."

"Ha. And what about that girl in tenth grade?"

"Girl?" Kate asked, interested despite how much she hated hearing about Mike's ex-girlfriends. It always made her jealous, for reasons she didn't like and couldn't explain.

"Mel, don't you _dare_," Mike said, still smiling – but the humour had left his eyes. For a moment, he and Mel fought silently across Kate's head. She expected Mel to win, and immediately start another tale that would cause Mike's ears to redden. But then, Mel shrugged.

"Fine. But I get to tell the one about the Henderson's stallion..."

"Stallion?" Kate asked, raising her eyebrow. "The crew are going to _love_ hearing about this..."

"What?" Mike asked, whipping around to stare at her. "You are _not_ telling the crew!"

"No... I'll just tell Nikki. And she may tell ET, Swain and Buffer... and then they'll tell Spider and Bomber and –"

"Kate, please..."

"Fine... I'll tell Nikki not to tell anyone."

Mike groaned, rolling his eyes. That would be like telling a shark not to eat fish. Mel grinned.

"Anyway, the Henderson's lived down the road... and one time, they took Mike and I out to the racetrack. I think we were about..."

"Fourteen," Mike interjected glumly. Mel nodded.

"Yes, fourteen. See how he remembers that? Mr Henderson was friends with our mother –"

"Close friends," Mike muttered bitterly, but apart from a quick glare, Mel ignored him.

"_And_, he wanted to introduce us to his stallion. It was a racehorse, very highly strung, and –"

Just then, there was a wail. Mel jumped up, looking over at Tim. He was sitting on the ground next to the see-saw, crying. She immediately ran over, Kate on her heels, Mike still pushing himself up.

Tim held up his thumb to show Mel.

"Mummy!" he wailed. "The birdie hurt me!"

"Birdie... oh, Tim..." Mel examined his thumb carefully, and then extracted something from his finger with two well-kept nails.

"Is he okay?" Kate asked, shaking slightly. Mel nodded.

"I've told him _again_ and _again_... bees are not birds." She showed Kate the sting she had removed.

"He's not allergic?" Kate checked. Mel sighed.

"And thank god for that. He's always getting stung... but he's as stubborn as his – uncle."

Kate noticed how Mel stumbled over the last word, but didn't comment. Secure in the knowledge that the boy was safe, the two women returned to the picnic. As she sat down, Kate caught the look in Mike's eye.

She had reacted so fast. On the way here, she'd barely been able to look at the boy, but when his cry had disturbed them, she'd been on her feet in less than a second. The action had bee automatic, instinctive. Something about the child's cry had touched her.

She swallowed, and looked away, trying to forget the issue. She knew, however, that the harder you tried to forget something, the longer it would remain with you.

***

"Buffer? You'll be leading this one," the CO said. Buffer's eyes flicked to the X, standing on the other side of the bridge. She didn't seem to have noticed that the captain was giving away her boarding party. "Keep an eye out for drugs, especially. But anything will be good, the Feds want these guys."

The boarding was successful, but Buffer was still surprised that the X hadn't demanded her position back. He didn't get to speak to her until that night, when they were both on watch in the bridge.

"Uh... ma'am. Is everything all right?"

She glanced at him in surprise. "Why wouldn't it be?" she asked with a smile, touched to see his concern.

"Oh, just that... the CO asked me to lead the boarding party. He doesn't usually do that."

"Ah. Well, the CO and I made a little deal while on shore leave... say. Did you ever hear about the time he stole his parents' car when he was a kid?"


	3. A Night Out

**A Night Out**

_What,_ Mike thought bitterly, _do I have to do to stop thinking about her?_

Get her off his ship might be the first step. But there was no way he could do that. Because, conversely, the only thing that was worse than thinking about Kate all the time was to be thinking about her and not having her there. _Focus on your work_, he told himself. That usually worked.

Normally, the prospect of shore leave was enough to have him impatient to get home. Today, though, Mike felt slightly depressed, knowing he would escape Kate's presence, only to be thrust into Mel's. And his sister was slightly scarier than his X, and just as stubborn.

A knock on his cabin door brought him out of his musings, and he looked up to see – of all people, Kate.

"X."

"Sir, we're coming into port now."

"Thankyou, X. I'll be on the bridge soon."

He didn't see her leave. His thoughts had once again drifted, this time to Mel's conversation about family. Mike sighed. He was a Navy man, married to the sea. What chance did he have?

***

"What did you _do_?" Mike asked in astonishment.

"I cleaned," Mel said, sniffing with disdain.

"I'm away for two weeks, and you rearrange the furniture!" he said, still trying to cope with the look of his house.

"I didn't rearrange it. I just moved everything so that I could get at the dirt behind stuff."

"And didn't put it back?"

"I thought it looked better like this."

"Mel, you're my sister, not my bloody housekeeper!" Mike said indignantly. She turned to him, hands on hips.

"The place is a mess! You're only here a few days at a time, and yet you somehow manage to... why was there chocolate _behind_ the lounge?"

"Chocolate?" Mike asked hopefully. Mel rolled her eyes.

"Old, dirty chocolate. Sorry to disappoint you, bro. You need a woman in your life."

"_Not_ my sister," he said forcefully. "I managed five years without you!"

"It shows," Mel muttered.

"When are you leaving?" Mike demanded.

"I'm not," she replied. Make gaped at her. "You refused to compromise. Now I'm refusing to compromise."

"It's a different scenario!" he spluttered. She shook her head.

"Sorry, Michael. But a deal's a deal. I said I'd leave when you agreed to take responsibility for your family –"

"And I told you, Tim is not my responsibility."

"Well, _someone_ thought he was. And that's why he ended up with you."

"Which is why I left him with you..."

"Exactly," Mel said, satisfied. Mike hesitated, knowing she had just won the argument, but not quite sure how.

"I have to meet with the crew later. Work conference," he said stiffly. She glared at him.

"It would be _helpful_ if you stayed..."

"Sorry Mel. My job is important, and I'd probably get in a lot of trouble if I didn't turn up..."

"Right. But until you can stay home and help me, your house looks like this," she snapped, gesturing at the mismatched furniture arrangement. Mike sighed.

***

"She's annoying, she's stubborn, she always thinks she's right..." Mike drawled, the list continuing. He was too drunk to remember who he was talking about – Mel or Kate.

ET glanced over. "He's... kinda... drunk... yeah?" he said, tilting to the side.

Nav and Kate shared a look. "Boys," they said in unison. And immediately giggled.

"She's holding my furniture hostage!" Mike bleated. "She's using my _house_ as a bargaining chip..."

"The problem with sisters," RO started up, but forgot his point before he could finish his sentence, and sat there gaping like a fish for a few moments.

"You can't kick them out," Charge said, winking at Mike. Mike started to nod, but then stopped.

"Whose sister are we talking about?" he asked unsteadily.

"Yours," Kate filled in, and he nodded. Suddenly, he lifted his gaze to rest on her. Shock flew across his features.

"She's like... she's like... like you, X!"

"Except the X doesn't have a problem with you getting drunk off-duty," Kate said wryly. "And _that_ would annoy Mel..."

"How'd you know that?" Mike asked dumbly. Kate smirked, taking another sip of chardonnay.

"Because, she looks _really_ pissed off at the moment."

Mike sat there a moment, absorbing what she had said. Then he blinked, his mind slowly considering possible meanings...

"Is she behind me?" he asked flatly, reaching an arm around to feel behind him, and almost whacking Spider in the head.

"Ya-huh," Kate said, nodding furiously. Mike swallowed.

"So, um... how pissed off did you say?" he asked, trying to look behind him without turning his head.

Mel reached forward and tapped him sharply on the shoulder. A second passed.

"Ow. Emilie..."

"You said you had a work conference," she accused, moving around to face him. He waved one hand vaguely at the table.

"It is. We confer about work. And how nice it is to not be working."

"No, he was ac...tual...ly complaining... bout you..." ET said to Mel. Her eyes narrowed.

"I'thought he was ca'plaining bout the X..." RO said, looking between the two women. "Whish ones the X?"

Kate sighed, looking at Mel. "They're all drunk," she commented. Mel scrutinised her for a moment.

"Are you?"

"No..."

"Sure?"

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Kate asked, both hands clutched around her glass. "Three. That's right. I'm perfectly drunk."

Mel looked around, scowling, then grabbed Mike's collar. "C'mon. I left Tim in the car, promised him I'd only be a minute..."

Sighing, he meekly followed her, at the last second remembering to throw a twenty onto the table. There was a cheer, as the crew ordered another round of drinks.

"Sisters!" RO shouted, remembering his point. "They're like really nit-picky girlfriends that you can't score off!"

"RO!" gasped a very shocked Nav. Kate shrugged.

"He's pretty drunk," she said in his defence.

"So are you," Nav muttered. Kate shook her head.

"No. If I was drunk, the leprechauns would be red. While they're still green, I'm not drunk."

Nav rolled her eyes, as Kate drank a little more. The X was usually very controlled with her drinking, but tonight she was going all out.

"Hey, Nav..." Kate began, pulling on her friend's sleeve. "Do you think he's hot enough to sleep with?"

She pointed at a guy, sitting by himself near the bar. He was extremely average-looking.

"Maybe if you were going out with him," Nav said cautiously. "I'm sure he's a personality, though." It looked like Kate was about to stand up, so Nav took a firm grip on the bottom of her shirt. "Uh, X... no."

"Yeah... you're right," Kate agreed, sitting down. She took another gulp of alcohol, hoping to forget the thought that kept popping into her head every time she looked at a guy. It didn't work.

"He's not as good looking as Mike..." she muttered, her head drooping. Nav stared at her, then quickly looked around to make sure no-one else had heard the comment. Fortunately, they hadn't.

"I think that's enough for you tonight," Nav said softly, pulling the glass away. But Kate hadn't finished.

"But Mike's an arrogant jerk who thinks he's too good for me..."

"What are you..."

"He said he had _more important things_ in his life," Kate spat, her eyes burning angrily. "Career-minded fool."

"You think you're not career minded?" Nav asked, raising an eyebrow.

"And now... now I find out he was..."

As if realising where she was, Kate's eyes widened, and she suddenly stopped talking. She dropped a note on the table to pay for her drink, and stood up.

"I'm going home," she mumbled, and made for the door.


	4. A Kiss

**A Kiss**

"Boss, you look a little tired. Sister issues?" called Buffer as the CO entered the bridge. Mike shrugged.

"I'll tell you later," he said grumpily, and sighed, remembering the large circles under his eyes. Buffer was about to ask why he didn't want to discuss Mel _now_, but Mike shot him a glance, and used his eyes to point at the X and Nav.

The two women only had a few minutes until their watch ended, and Mike waited impatiently. As soon as they left the bridge, he exhaled sharply, and the boys drew closer to hear his explanation.

"Mel... took the sheets off my bed. She then said that if I wanted to sleep in it, I'd have to make it myself."

There was a sympathetic groan from everyone present. Mike held up one hand, and continued.

"I tried. Really, I tried. And I got the sheets _on_. Sort of. But they were all itchy and the wrong way around, so I couldn't sleep."

"What is wrong with the woman?" ET asked, horrified. "Surely she didn't expect you to..."

"I know, I know... I need to find a way to get rid of her. _After_ she fixes my house. The furniture is still out of place..."

"Why is she here, anyway?" Buff asked. Mike hesitated.

"She wants me to gain some semblance of family responsibility," he said truthfully. "You know, all that stuff about me being out at sea all the time..."

"You're not packing it in, are you, Boss?" Swain asked, concerned that they might lose their favourite captain. Mike snorted, and shook his head.

"Of course not. I want _her_ to get out, not me... the last thing I want is to have to spend more time with her."

"Time with who?" asked a voice, and Mike spun around to see Kate standing behind him. Her eyes were narrowed, and he swallowed.

"Uh... my neighbours dog keeps barking... and I was just saying, I want to get rid of it," he replied, and the men around him straightened appreciatively at his excuse. To tell Kate that the CO was unable to arrange his own sheets would be begging for trouble.

"Yes, sir..." she said dubiously, and then held out a folder. "My report on last week's FFV boarding..."

He took the proffered document, and nodded. Kate left the bridge, glancing back suspiciously a few times. When the door finally clicked shut, Mike let out the breath he'd been holding, and the sailors around him snorted with laughter.

"_How_ does she do that?" Mike asked. "And as if none of you knew she was there..."

His neck prickling, he quickly looked behind him again. There was no-one there. He growled softly to himself. Now he was paranoid.

He shifted uncomfortably, as they all got back to work. He had a lot of trouble keeping his XO in line. Half the time, he was sure she was the one running the ship... even if she called him 'Sir' while she did it. He had even more trouble keeping himself in line. He had lost count of the number of times he had only just restrained himself from kissing her, on shore and on the Hammersley.

What irked him was the fact that they could live so close, but still be so disconnected. She was right downstairs, and he couldn't do a thing. He smiled softly, wondering what she was doing.

***

On their picnic, Mel and Kate hadn't just swapped stories about Mike. She smirked as she entered the woman's email address. Nav looked down at her.

"Why are you emailing the boss's sister?" she asked curiously. Kate glanced up for a moment, her smirk deepening.

"A deal we made... from now on, nothing the CO does escapes the attention of his sister."

Nav frowned, reading the email Kate was typing.

_Women of the world unite against Mike Flynn? He's complaining about you. I don't think he got much sleep last night..._

Satisfied, Kate clicked send, and stood up.

"I'm heading down to the galley. If the boss asks, I've been there ever since I came off watch..."

***

"Leading Seaman Dixon, Hammersley. Ah, yes... yes... no... okay. Sir?" Mike looked over at RO. "Phone call..."

"Put it on speaker, RO," Mike said. For a moment, it looked like RO was going to suggest otherwise, but then he shrugged.

"Yes, sir..."

A moment later, a voice burst out into the bridge.

"Michael Flynn!"

Mike jumped sideways, overbalanced, and hit the floor. He scrambled to get to the phone before the crew could hear Mel continue with what was obviously going to be a rant. He wasn't quick enough.

"I have a new rule. No, two. From now on, your work stays your work, and does _not_ affect how much time you spend at home. Secondly, you do not bring me into discussions with your work mates. _Especially _not to talk about how badly you want to get me out."

Mike stood in the centre of the bridge, his sister's voice amplified around him. The crew around him watched, shocked. They had never heard anyone, ever, not even Marshall, talk to their captain like that.

On second thoughts, maybe the X.

"And that means _no_ getting drunk, _no_ staying out late, you're to bloody well grow up and start looking after yourself! And for God's sake... you're thirty-nine! How can you _not_ be able to make your own bed? I'm not surprised you don't have a girlfriend, any woman would take one look at your house and run away screaming!"

"Why couldn't _you_?" Mike groaned, before remembering that the phone was on speaker.

"I heard that! And unfortunately, until you... agree with my point... I'm staying."

Mel hung up. Mike continued to stand there for a moment.

"I think the boss needs our help," said ET, struggling to withhold a grin. Mike nodded, unable to do much else. Finally, he shook the thoughts free of his head, and looked at RO.

"If she calls again, I'm... busy... overseeing something... important. And Navy-ish."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to find the X."

***

Kate wasn't disappointed to find the galley deserted. Bomber wouldn't be in to start preparing lunch for another half hour or so – unless it was something that would take longer to cook, and therefore might come in sooner. Still, that gave her plenty of time to think.

On a ship the size of the Hammersley, it was very hard to get any privacy, and her thoughts lately had been begging for analysis. She sighed as she made herself a cup of tea, remembering her embarrassing words from the night before. Thank God only Nikki had heard...

Kate was glad that, for the most part at least, she had moved on from the captain. She'd had several boyfriends since then. She'd liked them, some of them a lot.

She snorted, and leaned back against the bench. Who was she kidding? If she'd liked them that much, she wouldn't have broken up with them. And if she was truly over _him_, then she wouldn't stand around like a love-sick puppy every time he started talking to other women. She wouldn't lie awake some nights, her thoughts flitting between how badly she hated him for abandoning her and how desperate she was to have him back.

She wouldn't react almost convulsively to the sight of him with wet hair and fresh overalls. She wouldn't deliver her paperwork in person when she could just as easily leave it on her desk.

"Did you call my sister?" asked a voice, and Kate snapped out of her daydream.

"Did I what-now?" she asked, feigning confusion. Mike stared at her, and she waited, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Please explain how my sister knows what I'm doing when I'm sixty miles away from her?"

"A woman's ability, Mike," Kate said dryly. "She probably didn't. But whatever she said, your reaction probably justified it."

Mike stepped forward, and Kate's eyes narrowed.

"You see, I checked your cabin first. Your computer was on. And Mel's email address was in your contacts."

"I have her as a contact. What's wrong with that?"

Mike continued to move towards her, until she had to lean back against the bench to stop him from pressing against her. _That would _not_ help to get him out of your mind_, she told herself harshly.

"Well, according to the Nav, you just sent her an email."

Kate paused. Abandoning her tea, she tried to duck away from Mike.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to go and yell at Nav..."

Mike grinned, and used one hand to keep her where she was.

"You know what's funny, Kate?" he asked, leaning in close. Her breath caught. _What are you doing, Mike?_ she asked silently. _Don't... danger... don't..._

"Nav didn't tell me anything. But I think your reaction justified my theory."

For a moment, Kate wanted to slap herself. She swallowed.

"If you're trying to make my life hell, Kate, you didn't need to do that," Mike murmured. His hands reached forward, grabbing at the bench behind her so she was completely trapped. "You're already killing me..." His lips grazed her ear, and her heartbeat exploded. She was finding it hard to breathe. All her logic and professionalism was screaming at her to get out of this situation, to push him away, but she couldn't do it.

She could barely move. All she could do was raise her head slightly so that as he leaned down, their lips met. At first, they just rested against each other, but then simultaneously pushed forward, for a few seconds letting their emotional barriers crumble.

The kiss deepened. The taste was like a long-forgotten drug, something the addict has finally weaned themselves off, but then a single sample is enough to undermine their entire being. Kate was unable to stop herself, and her hands automatically began climbing up his chest.

"What the _hell_!" cried a voice, and Kate's rising hand was suddenly in the perfect position to slap him across one cheek. Mike jumped backwards, his face stinging painfully, and the two looked towards the galley entrance.

Bomber was standing there, mouth open in utter disbelief. For a second, she looked like she wanted to say something, but then she must have remembered that these were the two top-ranking officers on the ship. She continued to stare. Kate awkwardly tucked a loose strand of hair behind one ear. Mike rubbed at his cheek. Bomber was still staring at them, analysing her possible options.

She could run around screaming, telling the entire ship what she had just seen. She could keep a cap on it. She could try and reprimand her commander about the fraternisation rule, but the idea wasn't appealing.

She swallowed, and finally found her voice.

"Get out of my galley!" she yelled, one finger pointing at the door. They obeyed immediately, running from the room, not sure whether to panic or giggle. Mike jerked his head towards his cabin, and as Kate followed him in, she felt her temper stoking.

"You bastard," she growled as soon as he had closed the door. "Do you want us to both lose our jobs?"

"I didn't see you complaining at the time," Mike replied coolly. Kate rolled her eyes, but couldn't exactly deny it. Instead, she left his cabin, eyes blazing. She needed to talk to Bomber. Soon. But not right now.

She would wait until she forgot the feeling of Mike's soft lips brushing past hers.


	5. A Prank

**A Prank**

_Easier said than done, Kate_, she thought to herself. She had yet to speak to Bomber about the incident the chef had witnessed, and she was yet to forget the warmth that had spread throughout her body at the feel of Mike's body flush against hers, his lips touching her skin.

"Who is he?" asked Mel, breaking into Kate's thoughts. She snapped back to reality, realising it was probably _not_ a good idea to be daydreaming about a man while chatting to his sister.

"Who?" Kate replied vaguely, playing dumb. Mel's lips curved upwards, and Kate struggled to keep her composure as she realised it was the exact same expression Mike could make.

"You're staring into space. I assume it's a man." Her smirk deepened. "Or a woman."

Kate rolled her eyes. "It's a man," she admitted.

"Ooh, intrigue! So, who is he?" Mel asked. Kate bit the inside of her cheek.

"No-one you'd know," she said stiffly.

"Is it Mike?"

Kate swallowed hard. "No," she lied, but she had hesitated too long.

Mel chuckled. "It is, isn't it?"

"Of course not! I... we can't. I mean, couldn't. Even if we wanted to. Which we don't."

Mel's laugh intensified. "You're nearly as bad a liar as he is," she said after composing herself.

"What? Why? Did he say something?"

"He's my twin brother, I know what he's thinking about," Mel said, and refused to elaborate. "Right. Break time is officially over."

Kate nodded, and stood up. For a few minutes, the two women surveyed the task in front of them.

"What I don't get is why you're helping me," Mel said. "Especially now that I know you like him. What do you get out of making his life a misery?"

Kate considered. "It's fun," she said maliciously. "And I don't like him."

"You keep telling yourself that..." Mel murmured. "Are you only saying that because of me? You don't want me to know you like my brother?"

"No, it's because..." Kate paused. She didn't want to get into this conversation. She didn't want to have to remind herself of what happened years ago between her and Mike. She didn't want to analyse his sudden departure from a secure relationship – or the reason she was suddenly very well aware of. The reason that was currently sleeping upstairs.

"You want to do the bed, now?" she asked, gesturing at Mike's bedroom. Mel gritted her teeth, and nodded.

"It'll be hard," she warned. Kate was about to mention that she did know how heavy Mike's bed was – but bit back the comment, blushing internally. _No, I don't like him. Nothing's going on. I just happen to know a lot about his house, his bedroom in particular._

"We've probably got another hour," she guessed. "And just the bed to go."

"Don't wake Tim," Mel warned. Kate shrugged.

"It's carpet. Shouldn't be too noisy. Just don't drop it!"

Mel clicked her tongue, and the two women re-entered Mike's bedroom. It already looked very different from the norm; the bedside table was bare – no alarm clock, comb, or weather-worn paperback; the clothes in his cupboard had been completely rearranged; all his socks had been re-matched to one of the opposite colour, length, or size; and once again, Mel had stripped the sheets from his bed.

But that wasn't all they were planning. "We'll have to slide it over, first," Kate noticed, studying the weighty wooden bed frame. Mel nodded, and they focused their combined energies into sliding the bed across the carpet, towards the window.

"This," Mel grunted, pushing harder as the bed refused to move. "Is going to be harder than we thought."

"Pulley!" Kate gasped. Mel looked at her, confused. "We'll need a pulley... to lift it... we'll never manage... on our own. And putting it... down again..."

Mel rolled her eyes, and pushed harder, the bed slowly making headway. "Do you... carry spare pulleys... around with you?"

Kate considered. "We should... be able to... fix one up," she decided, just as the bed finally reached the far wall. The two women took several deep breaths. Then, Kate snapped her fingers. "New plan."

"What?"

"Take the mattresses off," Kate said, suppressing a laugh. Mel's eyes widened.

"Good point. They're pretty thick... we should be able to do it in two parts, the mattresses and then the frame..."

***

"Your sister know you're here?" Charge asked, grinning at the captain, who had just arrived at the pub. Mike glared.

"I managed to convince her that, as CO, I deserve a night off."

The boys cheered. "We knew you'd straighten her out sooner or later," ET called, a wide smile across his face.

"Where's the X?" called a voice, and Mike turned to see Nav and Bomber sitting side by side, Nikki grinning madly. Mike's gaze shifted to Bomber, who looked stuck between laughter and horror. She had obviously told Nikki about the kiss in the galley, but luckily, it didn't appear that any of the other crew knew – yet.

"She said she had something on tonight," Mike replied, remembering Kate's hasty explanation after his invitation for a drink. Bomber and Nav shared a glance, but didn't say anything further.

After a few minutes, Mike allowed himself to relax – the subsequent alcohol helped. Apart from the brief argument, he and Kate seemed to have moved on from that little indiscretion. Probably a good thing Bomber had interrupted them when she had.

Another plus, it looked like Mel was finally accepting that he needed to live his own life. When he had told her he was going to the pub, her lips had thinned, and she had muttered something about how he would regret it, but hadn't tried to stop him.

It looked like his problems were coming to an end. He and Kate could return to their controlled, working relationship, and Mel would hopefully give up her crusade and go back to Perth.

***

Of course, Mike understood the need for compromise, and made sure not to get too durnk. He arrived home just after nine, sick of the coy grins Nav and Bomber kept throwing his way. He was tired, and was hoping Mel hadn't decided to pull her sheet-trick again.

He turned the light on – and froze, his gaze glued to the bed. His fists curled. His eyes widened. Grimly, he bit back a shout. Instinctively, he knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

His bed was upside down.

***

Nav passed Kate a copy of the roster, checking the timetable of watches and other duties. Kate's eyes scanned down the list – part of her job as XO meant _writing_ the roster, so she knew where most of her shifts should be...

She groaned, seeing a few modifications. For one, she had the night watch tonight...

She reread the list, frowning. She had the night watch two, no, _three_ days in a row... She swallowed. Four. Five. All her day shifts had been inverted.

Sensing that something was wrong, Nav leaned over, looking at the list. A moment later, she bit her lip, squashing a giggle.

"The CO's the only one who can change it," she pointed out. Kate continued to stare icily at the sheet. "What did you do?"

"Nothing he's supposed to know about..." Kate murmured. "I am going to get him for this... I swear..."

"Hang on, if you did something, and this is his revenge for that, how can you pay him back? Aren't you already square?"

"No, because what I did in the first place was payback for what he did... in the galley... And stop playing dumb, I know you know."

Nikki grinned. "The CO's in his cabin... if you want to _talk_ to him... about the roster..."

Kate sighed, and left without another word. She made her way to Mike's cabin, and knocked. As soon as she was inside, she glared at him. He smirked. Her eyes narrowed further, to the point where he wondered how she could still see. He raised an eyebrow, and she exhaled sharply, opening her eyes. He waited, and she shrugged, exasperated.

"What did I do?" she asked innocently. He snorted.

"It's a very heavy bed, and Mel's not that strong."

Kate swallowed. Mike smirked again, and pointed at the door. She knew that to leave now would be admitting her part in the prank.

Growling to herself, she went back to her cabin. She had an email to send, and they had a week to plan.


	6. Another

**Another**

He was getting the feeling that she had somehow gotten the better of him. The night watches had affected her sleep pattern – and now that they were on shore having a drink, she, unlike him, didn't look like she was about to drop from exhaustion. Nav in particular seemed to find this very funny. Mike was too tired to be seriously annoyed, but his mood was definitely down.

It didn't help that every time their eyes met, Kate smirked. He hadn't thought through his plan carefully enough. Rostering her onto extra night shifts mean that he'd had to take her day shifts.

Whatever this game was, she was winning. By a mile. Or two.

He sighed, growling softly to himself as she raised one eyebrow at his dark expression. He stood up suddenly, pointing one finger at her, then the door. Snickering to herself, she muttered something to Nav and followed him out.

The cold air grabbed at his hair and clothes, and he felt his temper stoking. Was she acting like his XO? No. Was she acting like his subordinate? No. Would any other crew member get away with what she had? Definitely not. Would she have gotten away with it on any other ship?

She leaned against the railing, watching him. She seemed to realise that he was angry, and didn't say anything – but the cocksure expression never left her face. There was a slight breeze, and it was blowing her hair out behind her. Her green eyes were glittering in the dusky light, and faint rays of red light were being thrown straight from the sunset to her face, the angle of her cheekbones making her look more delicate and beautiful than she already did.

Mike felt his chest tighten as he looked at her. All anger suddenly drained away, replaced by a much more intense, desperate fury. He covered the distance between them in a single stride, wrapped one arm around her waist, the opposite hand moving to the back of her neck, pulled her close and kissed her.

For half an instant, she tried to push him away. But as soon as his lips touched hers, she was opening herself up to him, unable to stop. Her body had had to reset itself over the past week, and because of the confusion, was now desperate for company. All rational thought disappeared.

Her forwardness surprised him, and he started to pull away. She wrapped one arm around his waist, the other hand gripping the back of his neck, and pulled him back to her, demanding that he finish what he had started. He was only too happy to obey.

"I thought you didn't like him," an amused voice called. A moment passed before Mike recognised it, and there was a sudden flash of pain on his face, as Kate slapped him. Again. She pushed herself off of him, and stalked off into the darkness.

"Oi!" Mike called after her, rubbing his face gingerly. "Would you _stop_ that!" He stared after he for a moment, wondering if the excuse of "checking she was alright" would allow him to escape the death glare his sister was giving him.

"I need to go..."

"Oh no you don't," Mel said, cutting off his carefully planned line before he'd even finished. "Look at me." He swallowed, and faced her.

"Now you listen to me. I am tired of dealing with your problems. I want the best for Tim, but I am not his mother. And I can't... I may not be there for him, for you, forever."

"Why can't mum look after him?"

"He's a little boy, and it's been a long time since mum's had to deal with one of them! She's too old, Mike..."

"Jessie, then, she's got _heaps_ of experience," Mike replied, referring to their cousin, who had three boys of her own.

"_Stop_ it!" Mel snapped. "Sooner or later, you've got to face it. He is _your_ responsibility."

"He's not mine!" Mike hissed. Mel narrowed her eyes, and pushed him, hard. He stumbled, and while he tried to regain his balance, she punched him in the jaw.

He staggered back, hit the fence, and held himself upright with one arm, the other raised warily in case she attacked him again. But she was already walking away, heading for her car, parked on the other side of the street.

He righted himself, staring after her. Just before she got into the car, she turned, and called back to him, "Maybe it's just as well. You'd make a terrible father."

***

The ocean sparkled invitingly in the moonlight. Kate hadn't noticed it growing dark, but here she was – staring at the water while her body tingled. Her face was flushed, and her pulse was still beating way faster than it should have been.

She didn't hear his approach, and jumped when he suddenly appeared by her side.

"I'm sorry," he began, and she tensed. Mike. Apologising. That couldn't be good news. She looked at him sideways, just able to make out a bruise on his jaw.

"Who messed up your face?" she asked. As far as she knew, he'd only spoken to one other person since she's seen last seen him, but it was making conversation. He raised an eyebrow in her direction, and she snorted. "I didn't touch your jaw."

"You did hit me."

"You kissed me. Again."

He chuckled. "I didn't see you complaining."

She didn't share his humour, and slowly, the smile fell from his face. He lifted a hand to her shoulder, and she roughly shook it off.

"Kate," he whispered, reaching for her hand.

"Don't," she warned. "This needs to end, now. No more pranks. No more games. No more flirting. And don't you ever touch me again."

With that, she spun around, and started to stalk away. Mike sighed. With every step she took, he felt his chest tighten further.

"Kate," he called out. She stopped, but didn't turn around. "Please. Just let me... let me explain. I'm sorry. For leaving. It was wrong of me, and I never explained, and I..."

Her shoulders hunched, and for a moment, there was silence. Then she took a stiff step forward, away from him. He knew what would happen if he let her leave now. She'd never look at him again. They may or may not reach again the balance of professionalism they needed to work together. If they couldn't, one of them would end up getting a transfer, and he'd likely never see her again.

"Back then, when we were together... I said that I loved you, and I meant that. And I still do."

_And if _that_ doesn't get her, nothing will_, Mike thought grimly. He could see her shivering slightly, whether because of the cold or his words, he wasn't sure. And then she turned around.

Her eyes were sparkling dangerously. Her lips were barely more than a thin, angry line. Mike swallowed.

"Please," he whispered. "Ever since, I keep trying to find woman who made me feel the same. And they never did. I'd kiss them and think of you."

"Shut up," she snaped, but he ploughed on.

"Then, you came to me. I hadn't seen you in _five years_, and you were just as, no, more beautiful than ever. It was driving me crazy. I couldn't think. I still can't.

"Please, Kate, for the love of God... don't turn away from me now."

He wasn't sure whether the last was spoken aloud, or whether he was begging silently. Her expression remained icy. Suddenly, she took a step back towards him, and he swallowed.

"Do you understand just how much you hurt me?" she asked, her voice colder than the icecaps. "You do not get to walk in and out of my life as you please. I'm not going to stand still so that you can walk across me whenever you feel the urge. Five years ago, you loved a young woman, who didn't know any better than to love you back."

He suddenly realised she wasn't shivering – she was trembling with rage. He flinched as her eyes flashed coldly.

"I'm not that girl anymore," she hissed. His eyes widened, as he noticed a single tear slipping down the side of her cheek, reflecting the moonlight.

He closed his eyes, expecting her to hit him again. A minute passed. When he looked next, she was gone.


	7. A Disappearance

**A Disappearance**

Kate knocked sharply, ignoring the doorbell to her right. She wanted to feel her knuckles scraping against wood – she wanted to remind herself why she was here.

She had hurt him, badly. She hadn't meant to. But reminding him of her own pain had been the only sure fire way of not falling into his arms, especially when he had cried those beautiful words to her.

_Did I really say that? Did I really act that cold? Did he really say that he loved me?_

She knocked again, a note of desperation entering the movement. A second later, Mel opened the door, staring at her. Kate suddenly realised she must look terrible – her hair was knotting in the rising wind, her eyes were red from crying, and her tears were streaked from same.

Though a second later, when the light from the street lamp hit Mel's face, Kate could see Mike's sister wasn't faring much better.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Mel shrugged, and invited her inside with a wave of her hand.

"I'm leaving," Mel said emotionlessly, closing the door. Kate stared at her.

"But..."

"It's too late. I don't know why I ever thought Mike would... help. He loves his boat too much."

"Can I talk to him?" Kate asked softly. First things first, she needed to apologise. Then she would try and help Mel.

But at her words, Mel frowned.

"He's not here," she said. Now Kate was confused.

"I left him over an hour ago..." she whispered. "Where would he have gone?"

Suddenly, she regretted her words for an entirely new reason. Mel didn't seem concerned.

"He probably went back to the pub."

Kate swallowed. "I yelled at him," she confessed, her voice catching. "No, worse. I completely humiliated him."

She reached for her phone, prepared to call him – but then realised she had come around because she _didn't_ want to apologise over the phone. She stuffed her mobile back into her bag, and thought hard.

"I'm going to go looking for him," she muttered, already starting towards the door. Remembering something, she turned back to Mel.

"And don't go anywhere until we've had a chance to talk."

Mel didn't have a chance to reply; a second later, Kate was gone.

***

First, she tried Mel's theory, and checked back in at the pub. The only two crewmembers remaining were Spider and Buff, both drunk. Too drunk to coherently tell her if the captain had come back in. Frustrated, she followed up by going to two other bars in the area – if he'd been as hurt by her words as she thought he would be, it was quite possible he wanted to drown his sorrows in solitude.

An hour after leaving Mel, she still saw no sign of him. It was after midnight. She continued to drive, every sense screaming as she studied every passer by to check it wasn't him.

Finally, she pulled out her phone and called him, fingers trembling as she pressed in the number. One ring. Two. Five. Seven, and it clicked to voicemail. Biting her tongue, forcing away a sob, she tried again. And again.

The fourth time she tried, just as the glowing digits on her car's clock flipped to 1:00, instead of a ringtone, she merely heard an electronic voice telling her that the phone was unavailable.

Her shoulders started to shake, and no matter how hard she pressed her teeth into her tongue, she couldn't stop the night's second batch of tears. Before, she'd been crying over him, now she was crying for him.

_I was right after all. I'd be so much better off not knowing him._

_Where is he?_

_I can't believe I said that... I even told him that I'd loved him!_

_...and I meant it._

_What if that's the last thing I ever get to say to him?_

She tried his number again, and for one glorious moment, thought he'd answered – before she realised that the grumpy voice on the other end was not Mike. Mumbling a hasty apology, she realised she'd entered the wrong number. Correcting herself, once again she was told that the number she was trying to dial was switched off, or out of range.

Frustrated, she dumped the phone on the back seat, and drove back to his house, hoping he might have returned.

_Please_, she thought, as she walked slowly to the front door, _please let him be here._

The door opened before she even knocked. It was Mel. Her face was pale.

"Found him?" she asked, and Kate shook her head, her nostrils quivering as she sucked in a steadying breath. Inside, Mel started making tea.

"I tried calling him after you left. Several times. He never answered. He _always_ answers," Mel whispered, sounding horrified.

"Where's Tim?" Kate asked. Mel waved one hand vaguely at the other room.

"Sleeping. He's been so... quiet lately. Hardly like himself. I'm worried about him, now I'm worried about Mike..."

"I should... call some of the boys. He might have bunked with one of them, seeing as we're both mad at him," Kate said softly. Mel raised an eyebrow.

"We turned his bed upside down and he didn't do that then. He's too stubborn," she pointed out, and Kate chuckled softly, absently reaching for her phone, but finding her pocket empty. Mel handed her one without a word.

No answer. No ringing. Kate gently placed the cordless on the kitchen bench.

"I haven't told Tim we're leaving yet," Mel admitted. "He hates moving around. He hates having to stay with me all the time. He has no friends. He needs a family, and I can't give him that."

Kate looked down, slightly embarrassed. Suddenly, the desire to know once and for all overwhelmed her. She carefully phrased her next question as innocently as possible.

"So what happened to Tim's father?"

Mel sighed. "He didn't want him. Tim was an accident, he said he wasn't ready for it... he was probably right."

"What was his name?" Kate asked, hardly daring to breathe.

"Alex," Mel said, sighing. Kate swallowed. Could she have been wrong? _So what was it I overheard?_

"So why should it be Mike's responsibility?" she asked, and Mel growled softly to herself.

"It just is."

Kate raised an eyebrow, and Mel stared at her in defeat.

"You think he's Mike's son, don't you?" she asked. Kate nodded. Mel laughed bitterly.

"Close. Very close. Tim is Mike's grandson."

Kate felt her jaw literally drop several centimetres.

"He's thirty eight!" she said, shocked. Mel nodded, and began to explain.

"Mike was still in school when he got Alicia pregnant. They'd been dating for about five months. Back then... it wasn't common to get rid of a baby. She kept it, and her parents kept Mike as far away from their daughter and their grandson as possible."

"And then?" Kate prompted, when Mel paused.

"Like father like son, I suppose. Alex, Mike's son, had left school, got his girlfriend pregnant... They stayed together, I think, but didn't want to keep the baby. Dumped him on Mike, who, as you know, passed him to me and didn't look back."

Kate swallowed. "And that's it?" she asked. She was trying to somehow fit Mike's departure from her life five years ago with this. She had hoped that the story would give her a reason. More than just protecting their careers.

Mel shook her head. "No. It messed him up. He was still a child when he got Alicia pregnant. But when Tim was born... I don't know. Maybe he finally realised he'd made mistakes that weren't going to go away. He was never that good at talking to anyone, least of all me. But I know he took time off work, he left his girlfriend, and he wouldn't talk to me for at least a month. Then his promotion came through, and that pulled him out of his funk."

Kate bit her lip. _So that's it? That's less than the reason I wanted._ She had wanted a reason, some way for her to forgive him what had happened. She hadn't found it yet.

There was silence for a few minutes, and they both clutched desperately at their mugs of tea, as Kate tried to absorb the new information.

_No wonder he didn't want the crew knowing. Mike – grandfather. That's insane. And totally unexpected._

_So to deal with his own life he abandons everyone else? So much for what he told me. At least he could pretend that was protecting both of us._

"So what's your secret?" Mel asked, gazing at her. Kate blinked in surprise, and Mel smirked. _Mike's smirk_, Kate thought with a pang.

"You don't talk about yourself very much," Mel observed. "Now, I told you my secret – what's yours?"

Before she could stop herself, Kate had opened her mouth and was letting the words fall.

"The woman Mike was with five years ago. The one he left. That was me."

Mel stared at her, as shocked by Kate's venomous tone as by the revelation. But the younger woman wasn't done.

"He never told me why. He never apologised. But I got over him. When I joined the Hammersley, things were strained. But he knew the difference between personal and professional ground, he knew where the line was, and he didn't go near it, let alone cross it. But lately..."

"You love him but you don't want to get hurt by him again," Mel said, understanding. Kate glanced up in surprise.

"No," she instantly protested. "I don't want him to... I don't... want him..."

"You love him," Mel repeated. "And you're scared of what he'll do to that love."

Kate shook her head, but more to clear it than to deny what Mel was saying.

"Even if I did... Navy regulations won't let us."

"Ha. You've never tried telling the rules to get stuffed? You've never wanted to try something for the sake of it?"

Kate raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You want me to carry on an illicit affair with your brother?"

"I want you to do what it is _you_ want to do. And, damn it, I don't think you quite know what that is."

Kate sighed, and glanced over at the kitchen clock. It was nearly three.

"If we were two junior sailors on a big boat, we'd probably get away with it. But we're not." She felt her chest tighten. "And it's not like it matters, because at the moment I don't even know where he is. And tonight I made very sure he's never going to want to talk to me again."

Suddenly, she gasped, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door. Mel trotted after her.

"Where are you going?" she called.

"I thought of somewhere I didn't look!" Kate yelled back, running to her car.

***

Less than ten minutes later, Kate was standing outside a closed door, breath bated. Gently, she eased it open, a pool of light spilling in from the hall. She stepped inside, quietly shutting the door behind her. She could just make out the sleeping figure in front of her, and stepped forward, relief at finding him overpowering all other emotions.

Hurriedly, she sent a text to Mel, before moving closer. He suddenly rolled over, waking at the sound of her step. Feeling drained, Kate dropped to her knees beside him, her eyes meeting his.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. He reached a hand out, gently touching the side of her cheek, as if to check she was really there. Her face crumpled, and for the third time that night – morning – she was crying, her shoulders shaking and chest heaving as she struggled to breathe through the grief.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, and then said it again, and again. She would have kept going had he not slipped sideways, dropped to the ground beside her, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head towards his chest. His eyes flickered to the clock nearby.

"It's three in the morning," he pointed out. She nodded, bracing herself to lean away from him.

"I was looking for you," she admitted, and he cupped her face in both hands.

"I'm sorry," he said, echoing her earlier words. He didn't attempt to kiss her, or do anything other than hold her, and she was glad. She would think about what Mel had said, but not right now. It could wait until morning.

***

Mel heard a text arrive, and quickly grabbed her phone. It was from Kate, and she let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding when she read it.

_The idiot went back to his boat._


	8. A Meeting

**A Meeting**

"You're lying on top of me," Mike murmured softly, sensing that the woman above him had awoken.

"Racks were not designed for two people."

Indeed they weren't, but Kate was somehow glad. It meant that she could lie flush against him and blame the limited space.

"We need to get out of here," she said after a pause. "Hopefully without the morning watch seeing us."

"Mel told you, didn't she?" he guessed. Looking down at him, resisting the urge to kiss him, she nodded. "About Alicia?" Again she gestured her agreement. "About what happened six years ago?"

This time, she just gaze at him sadly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I'm an idiot. A complete and utter fool. I had the most amazing girl in the world... and I was too focused on my own problems to see that."

His arms were still wrapped around her waist, and he suddenly realised how easy it would be for her to head butt him while they were in this position...

"And now," he continued softly, "I'm staring into the beautiful eyes of the most amazing woman in the world... begging for forgiveness."

There was another long silence. Then Kate slowly smiled. "I like it when you beg," she pointed out smugly. An instant later her expression returned to sobriety. "But you hurt me, Mike, in a way I'd never been hurt before. I thought I'd never forgive you for that, until... until I realised I was thinking less about what you _had_ done, and more about what you were doing..."

"What was I doing?" he asked, confused.

"Driving me utterly insane," she said softly.

"Will you hit me again..." he began slowly. "If I do this?"

Before she could reply he was lifting his head, his lips instinctively locating hers. Neither could accurately say how long the kiss lasted; but it did last. They didn't try to turn it into anything more – not then, not there; instead, it remained a slow release of emotion.

She reluctantly pulled away, one finger stroking the bruise on his cheek. "No. I think you've suffered enough. We've both suffered enough."

Thinking about how he had obtained the bruise, Kate suddenly gasped, and slithered out of his rack. Her phone lay discarded on his desk; when she flipped it open there was no waiting message. She bit her lip.

"What?"

"I need to talk to Mel before she leaves. She said something last night about –"

"Hang on, what? She's leaving?"

Kate nodded, expecting Mike to be overjoyed. Thus she was surprised when he appeared somewhat deflated by the news.

"Didn't you spend the last few weeks trying to get _rid_ of her?" she asked incredulously. Mike nodded sadly. "So why aren't you celebrating?"

He pulled out a chair and sat down slowly, frowning. "She's never given in before me, never."

Kate understood. "We should go find her. Then we need to have a talk." She glanced at the door. "We had also better get out of here before anyone realises."

"I don't know whether I want whoever's on watch to see us or not," he muttered. "On the one hand, it'd lead to some very awkward questions... on the other, I'd like to think they'd notice two people running around the boat."

***

"Sir? What are you doing here?"

Of course, with Buffer on watch they hadn't stood a chance.

"Hiding from my sister," Mike explained quickly. It was half-true, and Buffer seemed to accept the reason. Then his eyes turned to Kate, the unspoken question hovering in midair.

"I came here on behalf of his sister to drag him home," she invented. Which was – if she squinted – almost half-true.

Buff shrugged to himself. Of course what the two senior officers did on leave was none of his business, even if they _were_ playing hide and seek on the boat.

***

"What exactly did she say?" Mike asked.

Kate briefly looked away from the road to roll her eyes at him. "I was too worried about finding you to listen properly."

"Where did you _think_ I'd gone?" he asked incredulously. "You spent the morning looking for me and didn't check Hammersley _first_?"

She sighed. "No, I didn't. I thought... no, I don't know what I thought. It was late."

"Late? Says the woman who's been on night watches for the past week!"

"Shut up," she growled. "Or I'll make you walk."

"You really want to waste time stopping to kick me out?"

"You really want to find out?"

He considered. "Yes."

There was a pause. Kate flicked on the left indicator, and pulled over to the curb. He stared at her.

"Okay, okay," he muttered. Once she'd started driving again, he asked, "Were you bluffing?"

"No."

"Sure?"

"Mike!"

Amidst the banter, he didn't notice her turn the corner into his street. When the car stopped, he thought for a moment she actually was going to kick him out – then he recognised his own car parked in the driveway.

As they walked towards the door, it opened. Mel gazed at Mike helplessly for a few seconds before her eyes moved to Kate.

"When you said you'd looked everywhere," she began. "I assumed that included the boat."

As she came up the front steps, Kate was caught halfway between a sigh and a glare. "Let's not get into that again," she muttered as she followed Mike inside. Mel shut the door behind them.

***

One synchronised glare later, Mike was booted out of the kitchen so the two women could talk in private. Growling to himself, he stepped into the lounge room. It was his damn house, what right did they have to go ordering him around?

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he saw Tim, sitting on the floor pushing a toy truck back and forth. Something in his stomach twisted painfully. He liked children, he really did – but seeing Tim, knowing that the boy was his _grandson_, was slightly more than he could handle.

"Hey, Tim," he said quietly.

"Hey Uncle Mike."

Come to think of it, knowing that his 'uncle' was really his grandfather probably wouldn't do much for Tim, either. As it was, he had a reasonably normal family.

But Mel wasn't here to mess with Tim's understanding of his uncle. Mike sighed.

"Your mum's really annoying, you know that?"

"Cause she's smarter than you?"

Mike frowned to himself. He wondered what Mel had told the boy about him.

"No," he eventually replied. "It's because... well, I made some mistakes. One really big mistake."

"You mixed the wrong paint colours together?"

"Well, uh, sort of. Actually, yeah. And now I can't get the two colours apart again."

"They're un-divible."

"What?" For a moment, two pairs of deep grey-blue eyes stared at each other, both clouded with confusion. Mike shook his head. "Anyway, the point is... I can't undo it."

"So you'll have to buy new paint."

Mike wondered whether he should have found a better analogy. "Well, yeah. But Mel... your mum doesn't want me to. What she wants... is for me to use the paint I've got. It's not quite right, but..."

He trailed off, seeing Tim's face twisted uncertainly again. The analogy had definitely gone too far. The boy returned to playing with his toy truck.

"I, uh... that's a nice truck," Mike finished lamely, nodding to himself. Definitely not father material.

***

"You really have to go?" Kate asked sadly. Mel had finally explained the reason behind her visit, and Kate had realised sadly there wasn't much chance of Mike ever doing what his sister wanted.

Mel shrugged. "I do have a job I need to get back to. I took some leave, said it was to work out some personal issues... The last time I went running off after my brother, I came back with Tim. They let me have it."

"Tim's not at school yet?"

"No. Next year."

Kate peered down the hall, trying to see where Mike had gone. "Why's he so against it?" she asked quietly.

"Because he's scared. Usually when he stuffs up, he can move on pretty quickly. This one... this one follows him. I do everything I can to get him to face it..."

"But he won this fight?"

Mel sighed. "It would appear so."

***

"Sir?"

"I have good news for you, Kate. How would you like to be acting CO for a few days?"

"I, well, Sir..."

Marshall smiled at the question on her face. "Mike's taking some leave. Just for a few days, apparently he has some family issues he needs to deal with."

The commander's next few words missed Kate completely. Even as he explained that both Mike and himself thought she was perfectly capable, and that it was a much neater solution than finding a temporary replacement, three words looped through her head.

_He's doing _what_?_

***

She leant against the doorway. He raised one eyebrow. Her eyes widened. A smirk momentarily crossed his features.

_So, were you going to tell me?_

_Weren't you pushing for this, too?_

_You're actually..._

They communicated so much without a single word. It was a talent they had always had, and usually only used while arguing.

"You accepted, I hope?" he checked.

"Of course," she replied, struggling to avoid his eyes, and ultimately failing. "Why now?"

"I can't un-mix the paint, Kate." He finished shoving a few things into a carry-on bag, and smiled at her. "I'll be back in four days. Don't sink her."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she murmured, watching as he walked away. Her first instinct was to email Mel, who had gone back to Perth a little over a week ago. But then she sighed, and decided against it. Mike was – finally – doing what was right. They needed to step back and let him.

***

He was a man who had always lived near the sea, and this expanse of desert was about as unlike the sea as was possible. The ground was hard, a dull reddish-orange, and completely devoid of moisture. The 'airport' was a narrow landing strip, with a single building for checking in and out.

He didn't like it.

Stepping into the relative coolness of the building, Mike's gaze was instantly grabbed by a man waiting near the door. He looked more nervous than excited, and a second later his eyes fell on Mike.

The two slowly walked towards each other. Despite the radical difference in style and taste, there was no denying the resemblance.

"Alex?" Mike asked softly. The young man nodded, and seemed to struggle with what to say, so Mike continued. "Call me Mike."

"It's uh, good to meet you," Alex said, and they shook hands. His dark brown, almost black, hair hung loosely around his shoulders. He wore baggy pants and a faded grey t-shirt. His eyebrows were bright green.

But his eyes were a deep blue-grey, the colour of the sea on a stormy night, and from them alone it was obvious he was Mike Flynn's son. The strong facial structure, height, and soft brown hair left no room for doubt.

"I... wasn't sure... whether you'd want to see me," Mike said, as the two of them walked away from the airport and into the town.

"Well, I... I wasn't sure either," Alex replied nervously. "But my wife said it was a good idea. It's usually best to do what she says."

And then he smirked.

"She's the one, you uh..." Mike trailed off, unsure of how to phase his question.

"She's the one I was with six years ago," Alex supplied, and Mike nodded. "How's... the boy?"

"He's good. His name's Tim."

"Oh. Nice name."

There was silence, as they walked through the streets of Burketown towards Alex's home.

"You like living here?" Mike asked.

"Yeah. I came here for work... I'm a builder. And I do wood crafting on the side."

"You enjoy that?"

"Yeah."

"Good. That's good."

"You're in the Navy, right?"

"Yes, I have my own patrol boat."

From the half shrug Mike gained in reply, it was clear Alex knew very little about the Navy and its divisions. Mike had previously thought he would be disappointed by that; but as alike they were in looks, they shared nothing else in common.

_Apart from the Flynn tendency to breed_, he thought grimly.

"Why was it you and my mother didn't stay together?" Alex asked suddenly. Mike hesitated, before reminding himself that Alex was only a few years older than he had been at the time. If anyone would understand, he would.

"I was seventeen. Her family already didn't like me, and when they found out she was pregnant... well... they told my parents, forced us apart. I'm not trying to say it wasn't my fault –"

"I wasn't blaming you," Alex corrected quickly. "I just... wondered."

"I wasn't allowed near you. And after a while, I figured you were probably better without me. I just made mistakes and brought other people down with me." As he said it, Mike realised how true it was. He'd always been looking for ways to get Mel into trouble. Alicia, well, his relationship with her spoke for itself. And Kate.

Before he could become lost in regrets, Alex started telling his own story.

"When Alice got pregnant, we were already in love. I wanted to ask her to marry me, but everyone kept telling me it wouldn't work. We were so young. But I knew I loved her, and I would forever. So I did. We didn't mind the idea of having kids... but... there was no way we could handle two at once."

Mike found himself nodding absently, before he caught on. "Wait, what? Two? She had twins?"

Alex nodded. "You didn't know?

Mike slowly shook his head. "No."

"It's why we couldn't keep the boy... Tim. Our girl's five now."

_Granddaughter,_ Mike thought dimly. _Fantastic. Wait til Mel hears about this one._

Then he shrugged to himself. It wasn't Mel's problem; it wasn't Mel's family.

"Do you have a wife, girlfriend?" Alex asked, and Mike started.

"I, well..."

"Oh, you do..." The younger man grinned.

"Well, her name's Kate. She's... so special. So perfect. But we can't."

"Why not?"

"I work with her. There's rules against it. Fraternisation."

"That's stupid," Alex said with a snort.

"Well, the rule's there for a reason. It just –"

"Still stupid. If you love her, just go be with her."

"I'd get into a lot of trouble for breaking it."

"Then your Navy job means more to you than she does. Make up your mind."

Mike smiled to himself. His son might not be exactly what he had expected, but Alex was a smart man with a good understanding of what was right; and that alone gave Mike a feeling of belonging.

"You know... when I get home... I might do just that."

And he realised that meeting his son hadn't been such a bad idea, after all.


	9. A Resolution

**A Resolution**

Kate lay stretched out across the white sheets on her bed. The four days as acting CO had been brilliant; but as much as she enjoyed the responsibility, seeing the Hammersley without her true captain had brought back some painful memories. She glanced at the clock, and sighed. He'd be back by now, and tomorrow he'd be reclaiming his command. That didn't really bother her – it was his ship, after all – but the idea of working with him and never again feeling his hands on her cheeks, his breath in her mouth...

A knock broke through her thoughts. She sat up, confused. What was –

The knock came again, and she understood.

There was someone at the front door. Before the question of _who_ could fully register in her mind, she was shoving herself out of bed and racing down the hall. She pulled open the front door, caught a flash of dark blue, and then a strong pair of arms were pulling her close. Scenting something that was part man, part exhaustion, but mostly _Mike_, she lifted her head and a second later his lips embraced hers.

"I missed you," he murmured.

"It's midnight," she replied pointedly. He smirked, and something deep inside of her began unravelling.

"My plane got in a few hours ago. Took me a while to get through the red tape."

"Good thing my house is close to the airport, then," she said as she hauled him through the doorway. His smirk deepened, and his blue eyes grew a shade darker. Her house was nowhere near the airport. "Did you have a good time?" she asked, her hands slowly making their way up his chest and around his neck. His arms were still holding her body close to his, and he steered them through the closest door, into the lounge room.

"I did," he answered, then there was a minute of silence as he kissed her again. "And I got some damned good advice. From a man who is a hell of a lot smarter than I am."

His body was telling him enough had been said, and he set his mouth to more enticing pursuits. She gasped softly as his lips slid down the side of her neck, her head tilting to give him more room to manoeuvre. As his mouth closed over the muscle where neck met shoulder, she leaned forward slightly and mimicked the action. The feeling of his teeth brushing her bare skin was enough to steal the air from her lungs and she pulled back, panting.

The position of his arms suddenly shifted, and she found herself being pushed down onto the lounge. Her eyes widened at the wicked glint in his eye.

"Here, Mike?"

"For starters," he agreed, and a second later he put his hand on her chest and all protests faded from her mind.

***

"I want to run away," she muttered.

Mike raised an eyebrow. "My X wants to run away?"

"I'm not your _ex_ anymore," she pointed out, smiling suggestively.

"Not _here_, Kate," he chided, glancing up the steps in front of them; the steps leading to Navcom. "This was your idea, anyway."

"Because you said you didn't feel comfortable lying."

He sighed. "Fair enough."

Studying the large building for a moment, Kate bit her lip. "You want to practise what we're going to say?"

"What do you think _he'll_ say?"

"I have... no idea. It doesn't matter. We'll make it work, this time."

"Of course. You remember what I said? You can't get everything perfect the first time around."

"Then it's a damn good thing we've got a second chance." She took a deep breath. "I don't want to be like Nav and ET; always waiting and waiting and _waiting_... always scared of being found out... wasting time..."

"Well, we're wasting time standing here," Mike stated grimly. "Let's go."

***

Standing in Marshall's office, Mike began to wish they _had_ worked out what they were going to say. The commander raised an eyebrow, and he felt Kate tense beside him.

"Is there a problem?" Marshall asked.

"A, uh, slight problem, sir," Mike replied. Kate nodded mutely, then looked up at him expectantly. _Oh, way to dump me in it_, he thought, sending a pointed glance her way, and saw her lips twitch slightly in amusement.

"Well, spit it out!" Marshall ordered, seemingly caught between frustration and amusement as the pair continued to stall.

"We're in love," Mike blurted out.

There was a moment of ringing silence; Marshall leaned back in his chair, studying them carefully. It was impossible to see what was going through his mind, but Mike had a vague idea it resembled something along the 'denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance' line. Though he was probably still stuck in anger. For a few minutes – long, tense minutes of complete silence – Marshall managed little more than to open and close his mouth a few times, take two deep breaths, and extensively survey the area between two fingers.

"Are you sure?" he asked eventually.

_There's bargaining_, Mike thought with a small smile. Aloud he said, "Yes, sir. This isn't some teenage crush –"

"How long?" Marshall interrupted. At the slight look of confusion the two gave him, he clarified, "How long have you felt like this?"

"A little over six years, sir," Kate replied quietly. The look of utter shock on Marshall's face was almost comical; except it was closely followed by a much more reserved expression. Kate knew what he was thinking; under the best of circumstances, there was very little chance of making it work. Just the simple fact of _who they were_ was enough to condemn them to unhappiness.

Kate decided it was time to give Marshall a little more information. "We had a prior relationship. Back then, career came before family... and we broke it off. When I was posted to the Hammersley, there was nothing between us. We agreed to act like professionals."

"It didn't work?" Marshall asked, sounding disappointed.

"It did," Mike contradicted. "It was just... torture."

"You've landed yourselves right in it, haven't you?" From his tone, Marshall sounded more sympathetic than angry.

Mike and Kate glanced at each other.

"Just a bit," she agreed.

"We've technically not had a relationship while on board, so it's not technically fraternisation," Mike pointed out. "Except this last week... and, well, we'll deny it and you won't be able to prove otherwise outside of this room. And if you want to fire one or both of us, that's fine. We'll buy a houseboat and sail into the sunset."

There was another minute of silence, and again, Marshall's slight fidgeting was the only movement.

"You're really serious, then?" he concluded eventually.

Mike nodded. "We're getting married."

"We're getting _what_?" Kate asked incredulously, staring at him.

Mike gaped at her for a moment, as shocked by his words as she was. "Well, that came out wrong. You want to get married?"

"Could you be any _less_ romantic?"

"You know what I said about perfect first time around..."

And then she laughed. Completely forgetting Marshall's presence two metres away, Kate laughed and nodded. "Of course, you dimwit. Yes."

For his part, Marshall sighed. The job description was right; every day really _was_ different.

"Can we get on track? And what exactly _is_ on track? What are you thinking?" he interrupted.

Kate swallowed, glanced at Mike, then back to Marshall. "I'd like to request a transfer."

He considered for a moment. Then... "No."

"What?"

"You know how hard it is to find Mike an XO he can work with? I'm assuming that what happens on shore will have _no_ impact on work, of course?" He phrased it as a question, but there was a warning tone to his voice. Stunned, they nodded. "Well then. For now, I don't see a problem."

"Yes, Sir. Thankyou, Sir," they said in unison.

As they departed, trying futilely to keep the grins off their faces, Marshall shook his head slowly. He had no idea why he had done that, but he knew what the two of them were like, and didn't doubt they would be able to keep professional and personal distinct. After all, if they'd managed the last two years on board together...

"Fair winds," he murmured. Not that he expected Kate to be on the Hammersley for much longer; but he was sure they'd already had enough good news for one day. Other news could wait.

***

Standing in the bridge of the Hammersley, Kate was struggling to suppress the grin that had been sitting inside her ever since Mike had 'proposed'.

"What are you looking so happy about?" Nav asked quietly, passing her.

And she was quite obviously failing. Nav smirked and turned back to her work. Then her senses caught a whiff of _him_, a feeling of warmth behind her back, and she gave up.

"You want to tell the crew?" he murmured in her ear.

"What happened to this being a distinctly offshore relationship?" she replied. The unusual closeness between them at this time had already caught the eye of several crew members.

"I think Marshall will let us have this one moment."

The feeling of total happiness that welled inside her was almost enough to make her pass out. As it was she felt rather delirious. "Alright. Tell them."

"Everyone, listen up," he called, and those who weren't already eyeing the pair turned in their chairs. "I have, uh, a little announcement to make. Kate?"

She turned towards him as he said her name; and watched in surprise as he dropped to one knee in front of her. Her eyes widened even further when he pulled a small velvet box from one pocket of his overalls.

"Marry me?"

There was a pause, in which he was perfectly able to read her slightly incredulous, mostly loving expression. _You were planning this, weren't you?_

_Had to get it right this time,_ his soft smirk replied.

"I already said yes!" she laughed, catching only a brief glimpse of the shocked faces of the crew. "But _yes_ again, just to soothe your damn ego."

And as he slid the soft gold band onto her finger, she couldn't help herself. For at least three minutes, she completely lost touch with the outside world as she kissed him, again and again, as if determined to suck the life out of him.

Only when she felt Mike set her feet back on the ground did she hear the crew cheering all around them. Brushing a hand through her hair, smiling again as she felt the slight snag of the engagement ring, she tried to compose herself, just slightly.

"Alright," she called, and the clapping slowly died down. "Back to work, the lot of you. Including you," she growled, poking Mike in the chest.

"Yes ma'am," he replied, smirking.

In one corner of the bridge, Nav caught ET's gaze and raised an eyebrow. He blushed.

Behind her, Spider adjusted position, just slightly, so his and Bomber's sides were almost touching. She shifted her weight from one leg to another, and there was the soft sound of grey overalls brushing past each other.

"What have we started?" Kate asked, sighing contentedly.

"I can't exactly tell them to stop, now, can I?" Mike added.

"Would you want them to?"

"So long as you're beside me," he murmured, "I honestly couldn't give a damn."

**The End.**

**_(No, really.)_**


End file.
